Lady Kel
by Mademoiselle Parfait
Summary: FORMER PEN NAME: Lady Bee. Kel is sent to the convent by her family. When she goes to Court, what will happen?
1. Chapter 1

Kel goes to the Convent  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, I wouldn't be broke like I am now. Well, actually, I guess I own the priestess.  
  
Author's Note: This is my first story on fanfiction.net, so please be nice when you review. And I know the title sucks. If you have any suggestions, either put them in your reviews or e-mail me. My address is in my profile, just be sure to label your e-mail with something about the story so I don't delete it as junk mail.  
  
Chapter One  
  
Keladry of Mindelan sat looking at her embroidery with thoughts of disgust running through her mind.  
  
Why did they make me come here? I could have been a knight.  
  
She remembered back to the day that her parents, Ilane and Piers of Mindelan, told her she would be going to the City of the Gods to the Convent instead of going to the palace to be a knight.  
  
"Kel, dear, we need to speak to you," her mother called.  
  
Walking into her mother's sitting room, she bowed in Yamani style to her parents before taking the seat her mother offered her.  
  
"Kel, we have decided that you will go to the City of the Gods to the Convent. We know it is not what you want, but it is what must happen. Our fief is in need of money and all we can hope is that you will become a fine, cultured young lady and marry into a wealthy family. You will leave tomorrow morning.", Her mother said as her father sat, looking silently at his folded hands.  
  
Kel took all of this in without showing any of her raging emotions. Even though they had been back from the Yamani Islands for several months, her training still held true.  
  
She looked at her parents and said calmly,  
  
"That is not what I want. You are correct in that. But I understand the problems of our family and I will help if I can."  
  
She stood and turned to leave.  
  
"Kel," her father said, calling her back, "It won't be as bad as you think. You'll have plenty of opportunities to do knightly works after you leave the Convent. If you do not marry, you can always join the Queen's Riders or become one of the Queen's Ladies."  
  
"Thank you, Papa. I'll remember that."  
  
She smiles faintly and then left to pack.  
  
That was five years ago. Now, at the age of fifteen, she was still at the Convent, waiting for her turn to go to Court.  
  
Mithros, by the time I get to Court all of the decent men will be taken. Then I'll have to marry some stuffy, old baron with a fief in the middle of nowhere, she thought.  
  
She stitched absentmindedly at her embroidery, not noticing her thread tangling.  
  
I could always join the Queen's Riders. They get to do all sorts of knightly things and have great adventures.  
  
Then she remembered that she probably would marry because she had grown into quite a beauty.  
  
She had a sweet, but stubborn face with a dreamer's hazel eyes and full, red lips. Her honey-brown hair, which she had always kept short as a child, had now grown to hang wispily at her waist. She liked to wear it down, so it swished when she walked, or pulled back into a horsetail when she didn't want to take the time to brush it out and arrange it.  
  
She had come to favor emerald, sapphire, and amethyst gowns, but only dressed up in silk and jewels when the occasion called for formal dress. She much preferred her simple wool or linen gowns in her three favorite colors.  
  
As she realized the knot in her thread, the head priestess walked into the classroom where Kel sat.  
  
"Lady Keladry of Mindelan, please come with me."  
  
Kel stood and curtsied gracefully before following the priestess out of the room.  
  
When they reached the priestess's study, she bade Kel to sit.  
  
Kel did so, grateful to be away from her embroidery.  
  
"Keladry, it has come time for you to be presented at Court. I feel that your continued presence here would be useless, for you have learned all we can teach you. Though some of it seems top be lost to you."  
  
Kel smiled in spite of herself. She knew that she was horrible at embroidery and painting, and her poetry was utterly atrocious.  
  
"So," the priestess continued, "you will be sent to Court tomorrow. May the Gods watch over you and bless you."  
  
She waved her hand in dismissal. Kel rose and curtsied before leaving to go to her rooms.  
  
She was finally leaving for Court. 


	2. Chapter 2: Corus

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. Unfortunately.  
  
Chapter Two: Corus  
  
Kel sat in her carriage as it bumped and jostled along the Great Road North toward Corus, the capital of Tortall. She had no one to accompany her, as all of the priestesses were busy with their own affairs and none of the other girls were ready to be presented at Court.  
  
Well, she thought, at least Court will be better than that stuffy old Convent.  
  
The carriage lurched to a stop and her footman opened the carriage door for her. She quickly smoothed out her emerald silk gown and straightened her hair, which she had left down.  
  
She took the hand the footman offered to her and stepped carefully out of the carriage.  
  
Placing a hand over her eyes to shade out the sun, she surveyed the scene before her. There were several people, most of whom were young men, but that wasn't what caught her attention.  
  
In the front of the crowd stood a man and a woman, both raven-haired and blindingly beautiful.  
  
The King and Queen!!, she thought, gasping, But they never greet ordinary visitors!!  
  
She had heard stories about Court and the rulers from her sisters.  
  
"Lady Keladry of Mindelan, welcome to Court.", King Jonathan said in a deep voice.  
  
"It is such an honor to have you here. Your family did us a great service when they establish the treaty with the Yamani Islands.", Queen Thayet added, smiling.  
  
"Thank you for such a wonderful and gracious welcome, Your Majesties. It is an honor to be here.", Kel responded, curtsying gracefully.  
"I'm sure you're exhausted after such a long ride.", the King spoke again, "Lord Wyldon, would you be so kind as to suggest an escort for this lovely young lady?", he smiled and winked at Kel.  
  
Kel felt her knees go weak and it took all of her Yamani training to keep her blush under control.  
  
"Of course, Your Majesty." a tall man with a scar on his cheek replied.  
  
Looking around in the crowd, he barked "Queenscove!"  
  
Two men stepped forward at the same time. The younger of the two said "I think he is referring to me, Father."  
  
Of course, son.", replied the elder with a smile and a mocking bow.  
  
The son grinned and bowed back before stepping forward .  
  
"My lord, it would be my honor and greatest pleasure to be the escort of such a lovely young lady......" he said with a dramatic air.  
  
"Queenscove!! That's enough!!", the man called Lord Wyldon shouted.  
  
"But, your excellency, I was only expressing my eternal gratefulness to you......."  
  
"One week stable duty!! Now keep your mouth shut!!"  
  
"But, my lord........."  
  
"Two weeks!!"  
  
Laughing, the King held up a hand to silence them.  
"Thank you very much Lord Wyldon. And you, too, Nealan of Queenscove."  
  
Both of the men bowed.  
"Now I'm sure everyone has duties to attend to, so if you will please continue as you were...." he waved his hand absently in dismissal.  
  
The gathered crowd, including Kel, bowed (or in her case, curtsied) and began to leave.  
  
The Royal Couple turned to Kel, bowed and curtsied, then turned and left.  
  
Finally, the only people left in the courtyard were Kel and the man called Nealan of Queenscove, who was looking at her, curiously.  
  
He noticed her returning his gaze and immediately bowed gracefully.  
  
She curtsied in return, looking closely at him.  
  
He had chestnut colored hair that formed a widow's peak and emerald eyes. He was also very handsome.  
  
"My lady, if you would please allow me to escort you to your rooms?" he asked, offering her his arm.  
  
She took his arm replying, "Of course, Sir Nealan."  
  
"Oh, please, call me Neal. My least favorite aunt calls me Nealan."  
  
"All right, Neal, then I'm Kel."  
  
"Kel, then."  
  
"And I would love to see your training courts, actually."  
  
"Really? Most ladies prefer to see the gardens or the Hall of Crowns."  
"I'm sure you've had the honor of escorting these ladies?", she joked, feeling comfortable with him.  
  
He laughed and they set off for the training courts.  
Along the way, he asked her about the Yamani Islands and they had a wonderful conversation about Yamani weaponry and combat.  
  
By the time they reached the training yards, they were laughing and joking like old friends. 


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting The Squires

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.  
  
Chapter Three: Meeting The Squires  
  
When they arrived at the training courts, several young men stopped what they were doing to stare at the beautiful girl standing beside Neal.  
  
Kel, feeling uncomfortable under their stares, blushed and looked away.  
  
A few of the young men called out friendly greetings and wandered towards them to talk and be introduced.  
  
"Lady Keladry of Mindelan, may I present Faleron of King's Reach," and handsome, dark-haired boy bowed, "Merric of Hollyrose," a tall, red- haired boy nodded, " Owen of Jesslaw," a shorter boy bowed, "Seaver of Tasride" he nodded, "and this giant is Cleon of Kennan."  
  
The aforementioned boy turned out to be extremely tall and red- haired.  
  
Kel, not considered to be short at five feet eight inches, had to look up at all of them in order to see their faces.  
  
"It is very nice to meet you all. I look forward to getting to know you. I hope I can find time to enjoy your company.", she responded.  
  
The boys blushed at the thought of spending time with her.  
  
"Lady Keladry, have you had any weapons training? We've heard of your time in the Yamani Islands.", Faleron asked.  
  
"Kel, please, and yes, actually, I have had some training. I can hold my own with a sword and a glaive (a/n: let's just assume they know what a glaive is). I am also fairly good with a bow."  
  
Would you give us the honor of practicing with us during your stay here?", he asked.  
  
"Of course. I would be honored."  
  
He smiled and nodded, looking content.  
"Why did you have to ask her? I wanted to ask.", the boy called Owen asked.  
  
"You were taking too long," Faleron replied, "she, and the rest of us, were beginning to grow old."  
  
Kel laughed and said,  
  
"And here I thought I would have to sit around doing embroidery all day! I had no idea I would be so entertained!"  
  
They laughed and plans were made for her to meet them at eight the next morning to practice before the boys went back to their practicing.  
  
"Well, Kel, where do you want to go, now that my friends have made complete fools of themselves?", Neal asked with a grin.  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't call that making fools of themselves, it was quite entertaining. And, to answer your question, I would like to change my clothes. This gown is stifling. Breeches sound wonderful just now."  
  
He laughed and guided her in the direction of her rooms. 


	4. Chapter 4: An UnexpectedSurprise

Disclaimer: why do us poor, busy writers have do put these things anyway? I don't own it okay? Please don't sue me!!!!  
  
Chapter Four: An Unexpected ......Surprise  
  
The next morning, Kel woke feeling rejuvenated and content. She got out of bed and did a pattern dance with her glaive.  
  
When she finished, she bathed and dressed in loose breeches and a loose shirt.  
  
After pulling on her boots and tying her hair in a tight bun, she set off for the practice courts.  
  
Along the way she was stopped several times, mostly by servants or other ladies, inquiring about her clothing.  
They couldn't fathom why a lady as beautiful as she was would choose such unflattering clothing.  
  
After assuring them that she wasn't crazy or ill, she continued on her way, only to find herself very lost.  
  
When she finally spotted a door that led outside, she hastened towards it and ran outside.  
  
She looked around and saw several barracks and a few practice rings. She walked toward the rings, hoping to find someone who could tell her the correct way to go.  
  
She felt a hand on her shoulder and her Yamani training took over.  
  
She flipped the unsuspecting person over her hip and through the air. As the person was flying through the air, he grabbed her hair in its' bun and pulled her to the ground before landing with his legs straddling her waist.  
  
She was lying in the dirt on her stomach while her opponent held both of her arms behind her back.  
  
"Excuse me," she moaned, trying to get her hair out of her mouth, "as lovely a position as this is, would you mind getting off of me?"  
"Oh, Gods!," he exclaimed, jumping up, "I had no idea you were a girl when I ......"  
  
"Threw me on the ground? Well, enjoy your enlightenment." she replied, pulling her hair back into a horse tail.  
  
"Forgive me, my lady. I truly am sorry."  
  
"You're forgiven. I'm not hurt anyway."  
  
As she dusted herself off, she examined her companion.  
  
He was very tall, perhaps six inches taller than herself, and was extremely handsome. He had dark brown hair and deep sapphire eyes that were laughing.  
  
"Are you sure you're alright? I would hate to maim someone as lovely as you the first time I met them."  
  
He grinned at her and any anger she held toward him magically melted away.  
  
"Thank you for your concern and your compliments. I assure you, I'm perfectly fine. I've been put through worse than being thrown on the ground."  
  
They stood in silence for a few moments before he spoke up,  
  
"I'm Domitan of Masbolle (a/n: *sigh*), by the way."  
  
"Keladry of Mindelan."  
  
"You're the new one from the Convent, aren't you? The one whose family made the Yamani Treaty?"  
  
"That would be me."  
  
"Well," he said, "In that case, It's..."  
  
"An honor to meet you", she chanted along with him. "Please don't do all of that bowing and 'I'm honored' stuff. I really am tired of it and I've only been her for one day."  
  
"Of course, milady." he replied, with a mocking bow and grin.  
  
"It's Kel. I don't set well with all of that formality."  
  
"Well, I'm Dom, then. After all, we did just dump each other in the dirt. If we can't be friendly, then who can?"  
She laughed and him and asked,  
  
"Could you show me how to find the courts where the squires and knights practice? I'm supposed to meet Nealan of Queenscove to practice with him."  
  
"Neal? By the Gods, Kel, how did you fall in with Meathead?"  
  
"Meathead?"  
  
"My nickname for him. We're cousins."  
  
"Oh you poor thing", she retorted, looking for similarities between Dom and Neal.  
  
"Your nose!", she declared.  
  
"What about my nose? I've always liked it."  
  
"No!! Nothing's wrong with it. It's just like Neal's."  
  
"That's it!! I'm going to a Healer to have my nose changed!! Any similarity between me and the Meathead is wrong and must be a genetical error!!" he said, in a joking tone.  
  
She grinned, asking,  
  
"So will you show me or will I just have to wander around aimlessly all day?"  
  
"I'll show you. Follow me." 


	5. Chapter 5: Swords and Invitations

Chapter Five: Swords and Invitations  
  
They reached the practice courts just as Neal arrived.  
  
"I see I'm not the only one who's late," Kel said with a grin.  
  
"Yes, but why are you late, dear Keladry?" he replied.  
  
"The same could be asked of you, Nealan."  
  
"I, my dear, was detained due to a philosophical discussion with Lord Wyldon."  
  
"That's just another way of saying he was receiving punishment work," Dom pointed out from slightly behind Kel.  
  
"Kel, don't you have enough sense to keep better company that my cousin?"  
  
"I think your cousin is delightful company. Much more than could be said of you." Kel retorted with a smile.  
  
She walked to the edge of the courts and began to stretch. Neal and Dom followed, laughing.  
  
"Don't you have duties for the Own, Dom?" Neal queried.  
  
"Not today. My lord gave the Third two weeks off since we've been out in the field for nearly three months."  
  
When Kel gave them a questioning glance, Neal said "Dom here is a sergeant in the King's Own. Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak is the knight-commander."  
  
"Yes, I know. I've heard about the Own. Is anyone else coming or is it just us?"  
  
"Just us for now, I suppose," was the reply, "which weapon do you choose, my lady?"  
  
She walked slowly in front of the weapons rack, looking closely at each sword and bow. She selected a sword which was long and thin, with a near perfect weight.  
  
"This will do." she said finally.  
  
"Are you sure? It looks a bit big." Neal asked skeptically.  
  
"I don't know. Let's find out. Guard." she said back.  
  
In the short time after Neal had unsheathed his sword and gotten into the guard position, Kel had already disarmed him and was resting the point of her sword at the base of his throat.  
  
"Yes, it will do." she answered.  
  
She stepped back and lowered her sword. She heard laughter and looked over to see Dom laughing hysterically.  
  
" I wouldn't laugh if I were you. You're next." Neal said in a dull tone.  
  
"I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with Kel."  
  
"Right. How did you stay so.....fit? I mean, you have been at a convent for the past six years." Neal asked.  
  
"I would sneak off at night and early in the mornings to practice with the guardsmen. I didn't want to lose all of my skills."  
  
"It certainly seems as though you haven't. C'mon, Kel, let's get this over with. I'll have no honor left when you're done." Dom said, pushing off of the fence he was leaning on.  
  
"Like you had honor anyway." Neal muttered under his breath. He received a glare from Dom.  
  
"I could let you beat me. Then you could have the privilege of saying you won."  
  
"And let my squad ruin your good name?! Most certainly not!"  
  
"Suit yourself, then."  
  
They walked to the middle of the court and saluted each other with their swords.  
  
"It was nice knowing you, Dom!" Neal shouted from the sidelines.  
  
"I wish I could say the same about you, Meathead!" Dom shouted back with a grin, his eyes never leaving Kel's.  
Neal responded with a rude gesture and Kel laughed at the two cousins.  
  
"It's your turn to guard, Kel." Dom whispered.  
  
(A/N: I've never been in or written a sword fight before, so if it sucks, I'm sorry in advance.)  
  
He attacked her left side with an overhead blow. She blocked and parried the blow and attacked his right side. As he blocked her hit, her arm was pushed down. She forced her arm back up and found herself locked body-to-body with Dom.(A/N: wouldn't we all LOVE that position? I know I would!!!!! *grin*). She blushed slightly as he winked at her, but quickly wiped her face blank with a Yamani stone face. She swung around backwards as he hit at her left side again.  
  
As she blocked and attacked, she searched for an opening in his guard.  
  
Finding one, she took her chance and locked the flat of her sword with Dom's, knocking his sword from his hands. She brought her sword up to rest at the side of his neck.  
  
"I yield," he said breathing hard, "Good work, Kel!!! Years of sneaking out really did keep you in shape."  
  
"Thank you." She lowered her sword as she heard the sounds of cheering and clapping. It seemed they had gathered quite a crowd of knights, pages, squires, and even a few nobles with their "duel".  
  
Neal ran up to them, clapping and cheering with everyone else. He stepped between the two of them, grabbed one of each of their hands, and bowed with them to the crowd.  
  
As Neal announced "Thank you! Thank you!! They'll be here all Midwinter!!", Kel decided that she'd had enough and pulled her hand away.  
  
She walked to the weaponry shed and put away her sword.  
  
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to face Dom.  
  
"Oh, it's just you. I thought it would be someone coming to fawn over me."  
  
"I'm not allowed to fawn over you? Well, I'm leaving then."  
  
"No, I'm just joking. You can stay, I like you."  
  
"You're not a big fan of nobles either, are you?"  
  
"Is it that obvious? They just annoy me even though I am one."  
  
"I'm noble."  
  
"Yes, but so is Neal and for some strange reason, neither of you bother me. Can't imagine why though."  
  
Dom laughed and then asked quickly, "Kel, there's a ball two nights from now for Midwinter, would you go with me?"  
  
Kel was a little bit shocked. She didn't expect an invitation to a ball. After a moment of thought, in which she considered the fact that she would have to attend anyway; why not go with someone she liked?, she replied, "Yes, I'll go with you."  
  
"Good, I was hoping you would. Now, would you want to go eat? I'm starving and I'm sure you are, too."  
  
"Sure. Should I go change or does it really matter?"  
  
"We'll go to the Own and Rider's mess. It won't matter there."  
  
"Alright, then, lead the way!!" 


	6. Chapter 6: Preparations and Dresses

Disclaimer: IT"S NOT MINE!!!!! okay, are you people happy now?! Would someone mind to tell me if I actually have to put one of these for every chapter? Can we just put one and say it's for the whole story?  
  
Chapter Six- Preparations and Dresses  
  
The day of the ball arrived quickly. Although Kel wasn't fond of balls, or events where her presence was of substantial note, she couldn't help but be excited. She feared being surrounded by people for the whole evening and not being able to enjoy herself.  
  
Well, she thought, at least I'll have Dom to rescue me if I get tired of listening to people chatter mindlessly.  
  
She smiled as she thought of Dom. In the two days between their first meeting and the current day she had spent much of her time with him and the Own, learning how to track and listening to them tell stories and sing bawdy songs. There was also the occasional friendly duel to settle friendly disagreements.  
  
At first they had been wary of her, seeing as she was a lady, but once she showed them that she could curse with the best of them, and the more time she spent with them, the more they got to know her and they came to accept her.  
  
She returned her thoughts to the problem at hand: her dress for the ball. Normally she wouldn't have worried about her dress, but this was her first official introduction to the Royal Court. She knew she had to look nice, without being overdone.  
  
She voiced her concern to her maid, who said she knew of a dressmaker in Corus who would be more than willing to help Kel with a dress.  
  
An hour or so late a knock sounded on the door. Kel opened it to reveal a pretty, slightly plump, girl with big brown eyes.  
  
"My lady," she said with a curtsy, "I'm Lalasa. Your maid told me that you were in need of a dress for tonight's Midwinter ball."  
"Oh, you're the dressmaker! Please, come in." She stepped aside and ushered the girl into the room. She took a seat in a chair by the window and invited the girl to do the same. Lalasa sat across from Kel in another chair.  
  
"I'm having trouble finding a suitable dress. I want something flattering, but not flashy. I don't want something too low cut, either. I'm not sure about the color. I think green, or maybe blue, but I don't know." Kel explained.  
  
"Well, stand up and let me take your measurements. Then I'll have a better idea of what will work for you."  
  
Kel stood from her chair and held her arms away from her body patiently as Lalasa took her measurements.  
  
"I have a dress in my shop that I think will look lovely on you. It will have to be altered, of course, but I can have that finished in plenty of time. Would you like to come down and see it?"  
  
"Alright. Come with me to the stables and I'll have horses saddled for us."  
  
They left the stables a few moments later and headed to the main streets of Corus.  
  
Lalasa's shop was located on a side road in a good location for business. They stepped inside and Lalasa went into a backroom, returning with a beautiful crimson silk gown.  
  
"This will be lovely. See, it's not too low cut or too elaborate."  
  
"Oh, it's beautiful! I love it!"  
  
"I thought you might. You seem like the type who would prefer to be at home, reading, than at a ball. If you'll come back in an hour or so, I'll have the dress done. Or I could bring it to the palace to you."  
  
"Could you bring it to me, please? I'd come myself, but I don't know if I'll be able to get away and then get back in time."  
  
"That will be fine."  
"Now, how much do I owe you for this?"  
  
"Don't worry about it. I've taken a liking to you. Call it a favor to a friend."  
  
"Are you sure? I'm more than willing to pay you after you're going through all this trouble on such short notice."  
  
"Please, my lady, it's nothing, really."  
  
"If we're to be friends, it's Kel. I really have to go now, but thank you again! You really don't know what this means to me."  
  
"You're welcome, Kel."  
  
"I'll see you in an hour!"  
  
She left the shop, happy that she had finally had her problem resolved and happy that she had a new friend in Corus. 


	7. Chapter 7: The Ball

Chapter Seven ............The Ball  
  
As the bell tolled the hour of the ball, Kel stepped out of her room. In her new dress from Lalasa, she looked stunning.  
  
The dress was a beautiful crimson color that set off her hazel eyes. The neck-line was low, but not too low. The bodice hugged her upper body accenting her waist. The bodice flowed down to form a wide, sweeping skirt that fell gracefully to the floor in soft folds. The sleeves of the dress were slightly off the shoulder and snug to her elbows, where they became bell-shaped and fell to the floor with the skirt.  
  
She had allowed her hair to be fixed in gentle ringlets that framed her face. Around her neck was a very modest silver chain with a small amber colored stone in the center as the only jewelry she wore. She had also allowed the maid to put just a dusting of face paint on her face.  
  
Kel made her way toward the Hall of Crowns, where the ball was being held. She had agreed earlier to meet Dom there.  
  
When she arrived at the Hall, she was swept into the crowd of people waiting to enter. A hand reached out and grasped her arm gently, pulling her out of the crowd.  
  
She looked up to see Dom smiling at her. He leaned down and whispered,  
  
"You're being announced. We'll enter from those doors there."  
  
He pointed at another set of doors, this set being thick mahogany wood with golden handles. A doorman stood between the two doors, waiting to be called upon.  
  
"Oh, okay," She replied calmly. Then what Dom had just said sunk in. "Wait a minute!! There's no way I'm walking in there with all of those people staring at me!! I won't do it!"  
  
"Relax. I'll be there with you the whole time. It won't be that bad, I promise. And you look lovely, by the way."  
  
He was dressed in sapphire blue breeches (a/n I'm sorry, I have this thing against men wearing hose or tights or anything like that) and a matching blue shirt with the King's Own insignia embroidered upon it.  
"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself. But I still don't want to do it."  
  
A few minutes later, after the door man had been looking at them warningly Dom said, "Too late to protest now. It's our turn."  
  
Dom held out his arm politely and Kel nervously took it. As nervous as she might have been, she hid all of her nervousness and anxiousness behind her Yamani mask.  
They stepped up to the door as the herald announced,  
  
"Now Presenting Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle and Lady Keladry of Mindelan!"  
  
They made their way down the sweeping staircase and across the floor to the monarch's thrones, where they bowed (and curtsied) to King Jonathan and Queen Thayet, who in turn, smiled and nodded politely.  
  
Kel let out a sigh of relief as Dom led her to the refreshment table and handed her a glass of wine.  
  
"See, that wasn't so bad."  
  
"Well, maybe not to you. It's not something I would ever want to go through again."  
  
"At least it's over with. Now all you have to worry about is people wanting to impress you and sucking up."  
  
"Why would they want to impress me? I don't have anything that they would want."  
  
"Oh, yes you do. You have the favor of the King and Queen."  
  
"And? They only like me because my family established the treaty with the Yamani Isles."  
  
"That's a big deal, trust me. Look, here comes Meathead now."  
  
Neal walked up to them with a Yamani woman on his arm. The woman looked vaguely familiar to Kel, but she couldn't remember her name.  
  
"Good evening Kel, Dom. Might I introduce you to...."  
  
He didn't get to finish his sentence because at that moment Kel remembered who the woman was.  
  
"Yuki!" she cried before bowing Yamani style to her. The woman bowed in return, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes behind her fan.  
  
"You two know each other?" asked a very confused Neal.  
  
"Yes! We became friends when I lived in the Isles. I haven't see Yuki in years! Why are you here now?" She directed the last part of her statement to Yuki.  
  
"I came with Princess Shinkokami and the delegation to Tortall. We're here to negotiate the marriage between the princess and Tortall's Prince Ronald."  
"Ah! I see. How long will you be here?"  
  
"Until Midsummer, at least. Are you still practicing with your naginata?" Yuki asked Kel, using the Yamani term for 'glaive'.  
  
"Every morning at dawn. Would you and the princess like to join me?"  
  
"I'll ask the princess to be sure, but for now, we'd love to." switching to Yamani (the pretty little star * things show the Yamani speech), she said "*Now, who is this handsome gentleman you're with? Is he your courtier, perhaps?*"  
  
Kel felt her face redden as she replied in Yamani "*Hardly. We only met just yesterday. He's your Neal's cousin, Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle.*"  
  
"*'My Neal' ha. We met just today,*" she replied, using Kel's words. Switching to Common she said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Domitan of Masbolle."  
  
Neal and Dom stood momentarily stunned at the ladies' short conversation in Yamani. When they snapped back to life a few seconds later, Dom replied, "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Yuki."  
  
Yuki had opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment a short, red- haired lady and a tall, black-haired man walked up to their small group. 


	8. Chapter 8: Discussions At The Ball

Discussions At The Ball  
  
The man spoke first, "Dom, how have you been? Caused any chaos lately?"  
  
"Not recently," Dom replied, "but I'm getting awfully bored. Who knows what will happen?"  
  
"Raoul, don't you teach your men anything?" the lady spoke, "Introduce us to your friend, Sergeant Domitan."  
  
"Of course, my lady, how could I be so rude? Lady Keladry of Mindelan, may I introduce Lady Alanna of Pirates' Swoop and Olau, the King's Champion, known as the Lioness, and Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, knight commander of the King's Own, as I'm sure you know."  
  
Kel smiled and gave a graceful curtsy. "It's an honor to meet two such renowned people such as yourselves."  
  
"Please stop that. I don't like all that formality and neither does Raoul. We wouldn't even be here if the king hadn't ordered it."  
  
"Yes, Lady Keladry, Raoul, here, is known for evading social events. The Lioness is a close second." Dom commented in a loud whisper.  
  
"Watch it, Sergeant. I'll have you demoted faster than you can say 'Carthak'." Raoul replied.  
  
"How many times have you used that threat now? This makes fifteen in the past week, I think. So far I've been lucky, no demotion yet. You know you need me to keep those soldiers in line," Dom said in a joking tone.  
  
Kel laughed at their banter and added, "Sir, I really think you *should* carry out your threat. It might teach him a lesson,"  
  
"Yes, Raoul, maybe that is a good idea," Alanna added with a grin.  
  
"That's it! I give up! The world doesn't want me to succeed!" Dom proclaimed, throwing out his arms in a defeated gesture.  
  
Neal and Yuki, who had stepped away from the group to speak with another of Neal's friends, now returned to join the conversation.  
  
"Ah, my dearest knight-mistress!!" Neal gushed, grabbing Alanna's hand, "how long I have suffered from the lack of frequent tongue-lashings and whacks on the head from your most noble hand..."  
  
"Watch it, or that'll be the last thing you remember saying," Alanna replied, yanking her hand back.  
  
"Lord Raoul, what is the news from the Scanran border?" Kel asked, trying to keep her friend from getting himself into more trouble.  
  
"Not much, they're still convinced that they can beat us. Little do they know what a shock they're in for."  
  
The group laughed and then broke up to go their separate ways as the bell signaling that the banquet had begun sounded.  
  
Dom lead Kel to her place beside him and, to her delight, Yuki and Neal were on her other side.  
  
The king rose and gave a brief prayer to Mithros before seating himself and signaling for the first course to be served. The meal went well, with Neal and Dom telling stories about their childhood and various mishaps and adventures that they had encountered in their youth.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
The next morning Kel woke with the intention of going to the training yards. The palace was silent as she slowly made her way to the courtyards.  
  
Much to her surprise, a horn sounded from the palace walls, signaling an approaching messenger. Since the war had begun, messengers were common findings at the palace, but Kel had a feeling that this particular messenger was different.  
  
Trusting her instincts, she turned back into the palace and casually wandered to the King's council chambers, intending to see what she could find out. When she arrived, she found the entire war council waiting to be admitted inside.  
  
Review!!! Sorry it's so short, my muse (and my beta's,too, I think, if she doesn't mind me speaking for her) temporarily went on vacation for this chapter. Hey, while you're at it, visit my website: www.geocities.com/betsybee19. It's pretty cool.  
  
Betsy 


	9. Chapter 9: War Council

Disclaimer: Okay, this is the last one: THIS IS NOT MINE. I do not own any of the characters or the settings. I might possibly own minor characters later, but until then, everything belongs to Tamora Pierce.  
  
Chapter Nine:  
  
Alanna spotted Kel standing at the edge of the group, looking confused. Walking over to her, she said, "What brings you here?"  
  
Kel smiled at her and replied, "I saw the messenger come in and I want to know what's going on."  
  
The king opened the chamber door and beckoned the council inside.  
  
Alanna whispered, "I'll let you know what happens."  
  
Kel nodded and turned to leave.  
  
"Lady Kel," the king called, "please join us. Your advice might be useful."  
  
"Oh, no, Your Majesty, I was just passing by. I'm sure I won't be needed."  
  
"No, probably not, but it will be nice to have another's opinion." he held the door open for her.  
  
Not one to disobey orders, Kel stepped into the chamber.  
  
Alanna smiled at her and pulled out a chair for her. Kel sat, feeling nervous. What could she possibly contribute to a group of the finest, most noble lords in the kingdom.  
  
"The king of Scanra is dead," the king began, "we just received a report from the border saying that the country is at war with itself because there is no heir apparent to the throne of Scanra."  
  
The room erupted in cheers and calls of glee.  
  
Lord Raoul spoke up asking, "How did the dear king die?"  
  
"Took an arrow to the heart last week at a royal parade," the king responded.  
  
"Are you sure he's really dead? I'd hate to see that tyrant come back to haunt us." Alanna called out.  
  
"The soldier who delivered the message saw the body himself. He confirmed that it really was King Maggur. They did everything they could to make sure that it was actually him."  
  
Alanna opened her mouth to say something else, but the king interrupted, "Yes, Alanna, they used the Gift, too."  
  
"You know my past experience with people coming back from the dead. I don't care to repeat the experience if you don't mind," she rejoined.  
  
"Your Majesty, do you now wish to send orders to the troops to take Scanra?" the previously silent messenger humbly put in.  
  
"My Lord, there will be many to argue that we should take the country while it is weak, so it does not pose any further risk to us" Lord Raoul added.  
  
"But there will also be many saying that we should let them fight it out for themselves, and not meddle in their wars" added a rather stuffy conservative.  
  
Arguments arose immediately as to what to do about Scanra. The king let them continue for a few minutes before interrupting, "Lady Kel, what are your thoughts on the situation?"  
  
Kel, who had sat quietly through the whole thing, hesitated to speak. Finally, she said, "I think that we should give them time to work it out on their own. Then, after a predetermined amount of time, we should go in and see what we can do to better the situation."  
  
"Good answer," Alanna whispered to her, "I agree with Lady Kel. I think we should give them time to work it out on their own first, before we go in and take over. But I also think that we should have some input on who takes power. We don't want to further the threat to our own country while trying to help theirs," she said to the council.  
  
The king pondered their thoughts for a moment, then said, "I find myself in agreement with Lady Kel and Alanna. Anyone care to vote on it?"  
  
The council voted in favor of letting the Scanrans work it out on their own. With details to be worked out on a later date, the council adjourned for midday luncheon.  
  
Review please!! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I've been really busy with the school play and other usual excuses. I love you all!! Thanks for putting up with my lack of updating!  
  
Betsy 


	10. Chapter 10: News

Disclaimer: not mine, sorry.  
  
A/N: thanks to all of you who reviewed. I really appreciate your comments.  
  
Chapter 10  
  
= thought = emphasized words, in case my italics don't work  
  
Kel joined Neal and the rest of the squires in the Great Hall for lunch. Immediately, she was bombarded with questions about the council meeting.  
  
"Is it true?" Owen asked, "are we really going to move into Scanra?"  
  
"We're not actually going to send troops into Scanra. The king plans to send troops to the border to monitor the civil war. He says we're going to wait to see how it plays out." Kel responded.  
  
"Will you go to the border with us, Kel?" Neal inquired.  
  
"I don't know. If the Yamani princess decides to go, I'll probably accompany her. I'll have to wait and see what she decides to do."  
  
"You should come anyway. You'll be bored out of your mind here by yourself." Cleon commented.  
  
"Is the Own going?" Neal asked.  
  
"Most likely, yes. The king mentioned something about how Lord Raoul and the Third have been on vacation for too long."  
  
"The king and Lord Raoul have frequent battles about how long a vacation must be before it is considered to be too long." Neal added.  
  
"What about the Progress?" Faleron put in, "won't it go to the border? It usually does."  
  
"Well, I suppose it will. I haven't been here long enough to know what should happen and what shouldn't." Kel replied.  
  
"You've caught on quickly," Neal remarked, "all you really had to learn anyway was to follow orders (which you're already good at) and that Wyldon is an....."  
  
He was cut off as Dom joined them at the table, taking the empty seat next to Kel.  
  
"Hello, fellow soldiers and Kel. Ready to head off to the border?" he greeted them.  
  
"Anything is better than here, at the moment," Neal responded, "As I was saying, Wyldon is an overzealous lout and if I have to spend one more minute listening to him rattle on and on, I'll throw myself in front of the first available horse."  
  
"Oh, good. Then you'll be thrilled to learn that he's in command of the squires while you're at the border."  
  
Neal threw his hands in the air in a defeated gesture and proceeded to pull apart a roll while muttering curses under his breath.  
  
"Eat your vegetables." Kel told him with a grin.  
  
"So, Kel, are you coming, too?" Dom asked.  
  
"We were just discussing that, actually. I had just said that if the Yamani princess went, I would go."  
  
"I overheard the king tell Raoul that we would have to hold off leaving until she arrived because she wanted to go."  
  
"Really? Well, Neal, I guess that answers your question. I'm coming with you."  
  
"Great," he answered, still cursing under his breath.  
  
"Any news on when we're leaving?" Cleon asked.  
  
"Last I heard, two weeks from now," Dom replied, "the king wants to give the princess adequate time to get here and the troops enough time to prepare their supplies and get the men ready."  
  
"How are you so well- informed?" Kel asked with a smile.  
  
"Eavesdropping. It really is a great way to learn things." he grinned back.  
  
Kel looked at Dom with mock horror and disappointment before she and the squires, as well as the member of the king's own dissolved into laughter. Well, until Lord Wyldon gave them a clearly disapproving look, at this they quickly quieted down to scattered chuckles and what sounded strangely like giggles.  
  
Shortly after, Dom got up from the table to head back to the practice court. Soon after, the group had gone their separate ways, leaving Kel to contemplate her up-coming trip with the Yamani Princess, as well as some of her squire friends.  
  
Okay, I know it's short, but review anyway. And next chapter, I promise there will be some action. I know it's been mostly talking for awhile, so we're gonna do some action/ fighting stuff next chapter.  
  
Please review!!!  
  
Betsy 


	11. Chapter 11: Practices and Departures

1Disclaimer: sorry, not mine.   
  
A/N: sorry for the slow update!!!!!! there's really no excuse for why it took this long other than that I'm lazy. But thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers who put up with me being so slow. I really appreciate all of your comments and compliments. School's starting for me pretty soon (August 10th actually) so I don't know how long it will be till my next update. It'll probably be awhile because school will be really hectic at the beginning. But I'll try to hurry, I promise.  
  
Chapter Eleven: Practices and Departures   
  
Kel entered the practice court the next morning only to find that the princess, Yuki, and the queen were already there, Yuki and the princess assisting the queen with her glaive. She approached slowly, not wanting to interrupt them.   
  
Yuki saw her approach and called in Yamani, "Kel! Finally! We were beginning to wonder if you had been abducted by raiders!"  
  
Kel responded, also in Yamani, "I almost was, but I managed to escape Neal's philosophical babble in amazing time."  
  
Yuki laughed and then turned to the princess, whom Kel was sure she recognized, and said, "Princess Shinkokami, may I present Lady Keladry of Mindelan? She just arrived from the convent and will be accompanying us on our travels."   
  
"Thank you, Yuki," the princess said, "but I believe I already know Kel. Don't you remember? We used to play together in the Isles."  
  
Enlightenment hit Kel. "Shinko!" she bowed before continuing, "I knew I recognized you! Since when are you the Yamani princess?"  
  
"The second princess, actually. The emperor didn't deem a Tortallan alliance significant enough to send the first princess overseas."  
  
Kel nodded at her words, but knew that even a second- rank princess was important enough to secure their alliance for years to come.  
  
The princess continued, "How is your family, Kel? I haven't seen them in years."  
  
"Neither have I," Kel replied, "I received a letter from Mama a few weeks ago saying that they would like to come to court to meet you and your delegation, if you would allow it."  
  
"Of course!" Shinko exclaimed, "I would love to see Baroness Ilane again. Maybe if she comes then we'll have enough people to play a game with our fans."  
  
"I will write to her and tell her of your response. Perhaps they can be here before we set out in two weeks."  
  
Queen Thayet, who had been quietly waiting while the Yamani girls and Kel were reunited, cleared her throat softly. Shinko gasped when she realized that the Tortallan queen had been left out of their conversation, which had been conducted entirely in Yamani. "Your Majesty, I am terribly sorry. We got caught up in our conversation and didn't realize that you were standing there." she explained.  
  
"It's perfectly alright," the queen replied, "I enjoy hearing the Yamani language. Perhaps someday I will learn and be able to converse with you."  
  
"We would be glad to teach you," Yuki said, "in fact, we will start right now." She picked up her glaive from where it was resting against the fence. "In Yamani, the glaive is called the naginata. Our fans are called shukusens. They are used not only as decorations for our kimonos, but also as deadly weapons." To demonstrate her point, she found a wooden staff and, flicking her fan open, slashed it across the staff, cutting it into several different pieces.   
  
Queen Thayet looked in awe at the pieces scattered on the ground and then declared, "I think I will stick with the glaive for now. Of course, I'm not very good with it, but practice makes perfect!"  
  
With that, the ladies took their places to practice, Kel with Yuki and Shinko with Thayet. They moved apart a bit so that each couple would have room to practice without endangering the others.   
  
Once they had warmed up, Kel asked Yuki as they continued sparring , "How is the princess? Does she like it here?"  
  
"She is well. And she absolutely loves it here. With all the trouble in the Isles, she's very happy to be away."  
  
"Trouble? What trouble? We've had no news of problems here."  
  
"The emperor's trying to keep it quiet, as he doesn't want to disgrace himself."  
  
"Yes, as I remember, the emperor never was one to display anything causing his embarrassment." She thought back to all of the people she had seen publically executed for even the slightest action against the emperor.  
  
"Well, the emperor received false information about Shinko's family. He now believes them to have been planning a coup. He gave her the choice of public disgrace or permanent exile here. Obviously, she chose to come here."  
  
"So is this whole engagement to Roald just a cover for her exile?"  
  
"Oh no. The engagement is part of her exile. It makes her leaving look more logically and realistic to the Yamani court. And the emperor does want an alliance with Tortall. The Copper Isles are threatening attack since the emperor chose another over their princess to marry his son."  
  
"No wonder the emperor wants to keep all this quiet. If anyone else found out he would be humiliated."  
  
Yuki nodded and continued her attack. Kel defended, though unsuccessfully. In the end, Yuki had her glaive blade held lightly at the base of Kel's neck.   
  
"Looks like you're a bit out of practice, Kel." Yuki commented, removing her glaive and resting it by her feet.  
  
"It's been a long time since I've had a decent sparring match."  
  
They waited patiently until Shinko and Thayet were finished with their match. Kel noticed that Thayet was actually quite good with her glaive. They would have to make their practice session a daily event. After arranging to meet daily at the same time, the group parted and went their separate ways; Thayet to meet with petitioners, Yuki and Shinko to meet with their delegation, and Kel to begin packing for their travels and to write a letter to her mother.  
  
Again, sorry for updating so slow. But, hey, at least I updated. Review and let me know what you think!!!  
  
Betsy 


End file.
